FALL ARRANGEMENTS - Tangerine, Orange, Coral, Red and Peach colors welcome fall

Fall is here, and the weekly arrangement for September 14 verifies just that--bright tangerine, orange, coral, red, and peach tones are a sign that fall has arrived! Paired with the dark bright blue of bush delphinium, this bouquet, using colors of various blooms from the garden of zinnias and roses, is rich and colorful. Plan your arrangements with flowers that are available in your garden. You'll be surprised what you can come up, even when you think you might not have enough blooms for an arrangement. There are many color schemes you can come up with--complimentary, or opposites on the color wheel,  like this arrangement. Monochromatic arrangements, or tones and shades of one color, are another way to provide a pleasing arrangement.  There are other combinations as well--the sky's the limit when arranging! 

2014 FLORAL ARRANGEMENT - USING LILIES, ZINNIAS and DELPHINIUM

The fragrant, giant OT LILIES are beginning to bloom, as well as the last of the ASIATIC LILIES. Together with colorful STATE FAIR ZINNIAS, my favorite DAISY from my Grandma Holland's garden, the first GLADIOLA of the year, and bright blue bush DELPHINIUM, this arrangement will have a long-lasting vase life.  As always, cut at dusk, or early in the morning before the sun is up.  Plunge immediately in water with a floral preservative.  Keep out of bright, direct light for a longer vase life.  Change water if possible, every other day.

State Fair Zinnias

First GLADIOLA bloom of the year

My favorite DAISY
The start came from my Grandma's garden 35 years ago

Bright Blue Bush Delphinium

Fragrant HOLLAND BEAUTY - a favorite OT lily

I love these 36" + STATE FAIR ZINNIAS--they'll bloom until frost

You can see fragrant SALTERO Lily (left) and Fragrant CONCA D'OR lily (right)

FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS - 4th of July with RED, WHITE and BLUE

Working with the flowers that are blooming in the garden can sometimes be challenging if you are working with a certain theme in mind. Every July I always do arrangements in red, white and blue.  The bright blue BUSH DELPHINIUM is usually always on. However, there were no red rose buds or State Fair zinnias; Asiatic lilies RED ALERT and MONTEGRO were the only reds I had.  For white, I had Asiatic lily ROYAL RESPECT, ARCTIC QUEEN double clematis, and the beautiful flowers on my big blue hosta. Each year, although they are on similar schedules, the flowers bloom a little differently, and it's interesting to see what I have to make the arrangements.  I love red, white and blue together--it is festive and reminds me of why I'm glad to be an American.  Happy Birthday, America! 

4th of July Arrangement

BUSH DELPHINIUM--AN EASY-TO-GROW, NO STAKING REQUIRED, BLUE BLOOM

Delphinium are so pretty in their "true blue" colors, but can be hard to grow. They are heavy feeders during bloom time, can be difficult to keep erect.  Even if staked, they can snap because of their heavy blooms. Although I love them, I have found that the BUSH DELPHINIUM is a good substitute plant. They are easy to grow, reseed readily, have a long bloom time--from spring through fall--don't require staking, and are not finicky in the least. When they reseed, it is very easy to transplant the seedlings to areas you want in your flower beds, where they always add the extra 'pop' of color needed to liven up your garden bed. I like to use them through their long growing season in floral arrangements. They have an extra long vase life, and their bright blue blooms always add so much to the arrangement as a filler or accent.  In this 'wild flower' arrangement, it is the focal point instead of the filler. It's accented with bright red STATE FAIR ZINNIAS and my favorite white daisy-mum.